Johannesburg - The German Shepherd puppy flown to South Africa by its Ugandan owner for a heart operation died just 30 minutes before the end of her surgery on Wednesday, a hospital spokesperson said.
"The operation was going really well, but towards the end she started bleeding profusely from the lungs and died," said Onderstepoort Veterinary Teaching Hospital spokesperson Chris van Blerk.
Veterinary surgeon Professor Louis Coetzee was leading the operation, assisted by paediatric heart surgeon Willem Roos from Montana Hospital.
The operation on Kia, the eight-month-old German Shepherd, was supposed to have been performed on Friday, but was postponed when she developed a fever. The team had expressed concerns about possible complications if they continued.
"The fever had dropped considerably today . That is why it was decided to carry on with the operation."
Van Blerk said the surgeons did all they could to save her.
"Her owners were really saddened by the news of her death," he said. - Sapa